Pipe-forming machine



(NM0de1') e. E. ASHWORTH.

PIPE PORMING MACHINE.

No. 410,630. Patented Sept. 10, 1889.

@XH/tween@ i I: g i 'nvemtoz @Mm www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. ASHIVORTH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PIPE-FORMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming parl'. of Letters Patent No. 410,630, datedSeptember 10, 1889.

Application filed September 28, 1888. Serial No. 286,702. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, CLARENCE E. ASH- WORTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin,and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements inPipe-Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a device for holding sections of pipe or tubingwhile they are heilig united by soldering, riveting, or otherwisefastening the same at their adjacent edges.

The main features of my invention consist in a shaft provided withdevices at intervals of its length, which are adapted to be expanded,and thereby made to grip the interior of the pipe or tube.

My improved device is also serviceable for straightening bent or twistedtubing and for other purposes where it is desired to hold one or moresections of pipe or tubing in position to be operated upon.

In the drawings I have illustrated one form in which I have contemplatedembodying my invention, and said invent-ion is fully disclosed in thefollowing description and claims.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a bench orsuppo1'ting-table,with my improved pipe-forming machine applied thereto.Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the expansible grippers. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal view of the same. Fig. et is a crosssection of the same.Fig. 5 is a section of a portion of the central shaft of the apparatus,showing a spring located therein.

A represents the bench ortable which supports the apparatus.

B and C are bearings secured to the table A, which serve to support thehollow shaft D. The bearing C engages the shaft D on the lower sideonly, and the bearing B is pivoted to swing and thereby allow the shaftto be raised and lowered out of and into engagement with the bearing O.In the drawings I have shown the bearing B provided with a iiattenedportion pivoted in ears I), secured to the table A.

The shaft D is provided at suitable intervals with segments E, whichnearly or quite surround the said shaft-forming rings. These rings mayconsist of two or more segments E, and each segment is pivotallyconnected to the shaft D by means of a rodor link e,which is pivoted tothe said shaft. I provide the shaft D with wedges F, which are adaptedto engage the inner face of the rings, and when moved toward the same toexpand said rings by moving the segments E farther from the shaft D.These wedges are provided with notched ears f, which engage the rods eof the segments and guide the wedges in their movement. In order to movethe wedges F simultaneously and expand all of the rings together, Iprovide the interior of the hollow shaft D with a rod G, to which all ofthe wedges F are secured by means of screws or pins T, passing throughslots formed in the shaft D, to permit of the longitudinal movement ofsaid wedges, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 4.

In order to secure the longitudinal movement of the rod G, I provide aspring'ILwhich is attached to said rod G at or near one end of the same,and connect said spring by suitable means with the shaft D. This springis so arranged that it will force the rod in such a direction as willexpand the segments E by means of the Wedges F. One end of the shaft Dis preferably provided with a balance-Wheel K, by which motion may beimparted t-o the shaft D sufficient to revolve it several times tofacilitate the operation of soldering the adjacent edges of pipe ortubing or for other purposes. The wheel K is here shown as beingprovided with a hand-lever L, pivoted thereto, one end of which isconnected to the rod G. l/Vhen said lever is operated, the rod will bemoved longitudinally against the spring H, thereby compressing the same,and the rod G may be secured in this position by a spring locking-latchZ on the wheel K.

I have shown the table A provided with a spring locking-latch M forengaging the Wheel K when the opposite end of the shaft D is raised outof engagement with bearing C for holding said shaft in an elevatedposition while the sections of pipe or tubing are being placed over theshaft D. I have also shown the shaft D provided with a fixed cone-shapedcollar N,Which is adapted to receive one end of the pipe which is firstplaced over the shaft D to secure the proper centering of the same. Itwill be seen that by making this collar coneshaped I am enabled toaccomplish this result.

The operation of the device is as follows: The shaft D is raised outofengagement with the bearing C and held in its elevated position by thespring-latch M, while the sections of pipe to be united are being placedover the shaft D. The first section will be engaged at one end by thecone-shaped collar N, and the other end will be engaged by the segmentsEof the expansible ring. The next section will engage two of theexpansible rings, and so on, the distance between the rings being suchthat the adjacent ends of two sections of tubing will be engaged by thesegments of one ring. `The lever L is then released, and the spring Hwill force the rod G and wedges to move longitudinally of the shaft D,thereby expanding the segments E and forcing them to grip the pipes ortubing at the points of union. The sections of pipe may then be unitedby any preferred means. If by soldering, the wheel K may be rotated tofacilitate the operation, as before described.

If it is desired to straighten a pipe which has been indented, the pipeis placed over the shaft D, with the indented portion over one of theexpansible segments. When the spring H is released, the segments willexpand and straighten the pipe or tube. When the lever L is operated, itwill withdraw the wedges, forcing the segments to release the sectionsof pipe or tube, and at the same time compress the spring H, when theapparatus is in. operative position.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pipe forming and straightening machine, the combination, withthe supportingshaft, of segments mounted thereon and secured thereto,and wedges for expanding said segments mounted on said shaft, adaptedto` slide longitudinally thereof and to engage the inner faces of saidsegments, substantially as described.

2. In a pipe forming and straightening machine, the combination, withthe supportingshaft, of segments mounted thereon and pivotally securedthereto, sliding wedges for expanding said segments mounted on saidshaft, adapted to slide longitudinally thereof and to engage the innerfaces of said segments, and an actuating-rod for mo ving said wedges,substantially as described.

3. Inl a pipe forming and straightening machine, the combination, with ahollow supporting-shaft provided with slots, of segments pivotallymounted on said shaft, sliding wedges for expanding said segmentslaterally, an actuating-rod capable of longitudinal movement through thehollow shaft, and connections between the said wedges and actuating-rodpassing through the slots of the hollow shaft, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a pipe forming and straightening machine, the combination, withthe hollow supporting-shaft,'of segments mounted thereon and pivotedthereto, sliding wedges for expanding said segments, a rod capable oflongitudinal movement within said shaft for actuating said wedges, aspring connected to said rod and to said shaft for moving the rod in onedirection, and a lever connected to the said rod for moving it in theopposite direction against the said spring, substantially as described.

5. In a pipe forming and straightening machine, the combination, withthe hollow supporting-shaft, of segments mounted thereon and pivotedthereto, sliding wedges forexpanding said segments, an actuating-rod forsaid wedges, a spring for moving said rod in one direction, a lever formoving said rod in the opposite direction and compressing said spring,and a locking devicefor said lever for holding the spring compressed,substantially as described.

6. In a pipe-forming device, the combination, with the supporting-shaftrand expansible segments, of a conical centering-collar mounted on saidshaft, substantially as described.

7. In a pipe forming and straightening machine, the combination, withthe supportingshaft mounted in. suitable bearings, of segments mountedthereon and secured thereto, wedges for expanding said segments mountedon said shaft, adapted to slide longitudinally thereof and engaging theinner faces of said segments, said shaft being capable of rotating inits bearings, and thereby rotating said segments and wedges,substantially as described.

8. In a pipe forming and straightening machine, the combination, withthe supportingshaft provided with a balance-wheel, of bearings for saidshaft, one of said bearings engaging said shaft on the under side only,the other of said bearings being pivoted, and a spring-latch forengaging said balance-wheel and holding said shaft in' an elevatedposition, substantially as described.

CLARENCE E. ASHVORTH.

Witnesses:

C. F. ROGERS, C. M. PARDOE. y

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